Selection and fitting of the sled dog harness

The most important sled sports equipment and work tool for the dog is properly fitting, ergonomic sled dog harness . You should invest in the purchase of a well-fitting harness, because they directly affect the dog's well-being, health and the meaningfulness of the pulling hobby.

Finding a suitable pulling harness can be relatively easy - or very challenging, depending on the dog's body structure. Dogs are always individuals and the structure can vary a lot even between dogs of the same breed. Since there are many models of dogs, there are also many pull harness models available - from many different brands. The harnesses in our selection are all of high quality. The "best towing harness" is therefore one that is suitable and fits exactly for the dog in question.

Below are instructions to help you pay attention to the right things when thinking about the harness model and when fitting the harness.

Pulling harness, Y-harness, T-harness - how do different dog harness models differ from each other?

• T-harness
  Dog harnesses have traditionally been so-called T-harnesses, where a transverse thong runs horizontally in front of the dog's chest. Harnesses of this type limit the normal range of motion of the legs forward, so in light of current knowledge, they are generally not recommended even for everyday use, let alone for pulling.
  
  
• Y harness
  Y-harness refers to a harness whose chest part branches out between the dog's legs in the shape of the letter Y. The fitted Y-harness allows the dog's legs to move naturally, both when walking and running. The short (ending at the middle of the back) Y-shaped harness is perfect for everyday life, jogging and camping. However, you should get a pulling harness for the actual pulling hobby, because if the dog pulls strongly in a normal Y-harness, the pulling will cause the neck opening of the harness to rise up on the throat, regardless of how well-fitting the harness is otherwise.
  
  
• sled dog harness
  The sled dog harnesses are also Y-shaped from the front. However, the side parts of the harness and the attachment point of the drawcord differ from normal short Y-harnesses intended for everyday use. In a sled dog harness, the strap is attached to the attachment loop on the dog's rear. The pull comes through the side pieces sewn to the back on the chest part of the harness. The pull therefore pulls the harness below the lower edge of the neck opening, away from the top of the dog's throat. Thus, the pressure of the pull is not directed at the dog's throat, unlike what easily happens, for example, when the dog pulls in a normal everyday harness. In a pulling harness, the pressure of the pull is distributed through the side pieces on the rear slope to the dog's chest, and therefore does not apply to the dog's throat.

When to get a dog harness?

If the purpose is to teach/let the dog pull, it is recommended to get a pulling harness right at the beginning of pulling training. Primarily because of ergonomics, but also because the dog learns to associate the permitted pulling with the pulling harness, and the normal everyday harness can be considered a harness that does not pull.

The buyer of a pulling harness may need to be prepared to buy possibly several harnesses during the dog's pulling career, because the pulling harness must always fit and cannot be bought for a young dog with a lot of room for growth. Especially in larger breeds, clear rot usually occurs up to 2-3 years of age, and in thick-coated dogs, the amount of hair can vary a lot from season to season, affecting the fit of the harness.

The tow harness is fitted in the tow

Fitting a towing harness can sometimes be a time-consuming task. In the beginning, you should reward the dog, for example, for slipping his head into the harness, so that the dog feels comfortable wearing it. When the harness is put on, the fit of the sled dog harness should be checked so that there is tension in the harness. It is therefore easiest to coordinate the sled dog harness with an assistant.

When making arrangements, it is important that the dog is on a non-slip surface, preferably outside or alternatively inside on a carpet (not on a laminate floor, for example). If the surface is even a little slippery, the dog does not stand in a natural position and does not lean on the harness.

After finding a sled dog harness that seems suitable, the final suitability for the dog in question can be seen in the correct traction use.

In the picture below, you can see how a suitably sized pulling harness should be positioned when the dog is pulling. Below you will also find detailed instructions for a closer look at each point.

So check these points when fitting a sled dog harness

Neck opening

Fitting starts with checking the fit of the neck opening. The neck opening of the sled dog harness should be significantly tighter than what you are probably used to seeing in normal everyday harnesses. So don't give up right away, even if the dog's head doesn't slip through the neck opening completely effortlessly (note: if you turn the neck opening sideways, parallel to the dog's ears, it's easier to put on). When you have put the harness on the dog, carefully lift/move the dog's hair and "extra skins" out from under the neck opening of the harness.

• Try at this stage (still without traction), how many fingertips can easily fit between the dog's neck and the harness. If more than two fingers slip in there easily, it indicates that the neck opening is probably too big. If the neck opening of the pulling harness is too big, it can hang over the dog's shoulders and shoulder blades when pulling properly. This interferes with the normal movement of the front legs and can lead to joint stress injuries. As a rule of thumb, two fingertips can fit between the dog's neck and the neck opening of a suitable pulling harness without traction - only one for small dogs.

Just two fingertips can fit between the neck and the neckline when there is no pull in the harness. The neckline is neither too big nor too small.

• If the harness has adjustable side straps, such as In non-stop dogwear Freemotions , tighten them to fit, as this also has an effect on how the harness (and the neck opening) sits on the dog when pulling. You can find detailed instructions for adjusting the Freemotion harness model in this link .
• Next, pull the harness strongly backwards from the fastening loop of the drawstring and feel with your index finger perpendicular to the lower edge of the neck opening of the harness, can you feel the upper edge of the tip of the dog's sternum. See the picture below. At this point, the pull on the harness should be as strong as when the dog is working in the harness.
• A neck opening that is too small or has the wrong design remains too high, i.e. above the upper edge of the sternum, despite the pull, so the harness presses on the dog's throat/trachea. In this case, you no longer feel the upper edge of the tip of the dog's sternum from the lower edge of the neck opening of the harness, even with a proper pull.

The pull pulls the lower edge of the neck opening away from the dog's throat, and the upper edge of the tip of the sternum feels like the lower edge of the neck opening when palpated perpendicularly. The neck opening is therefore suitable for the dog.

Chest piece

Check from the front of the dog that the chest part is not too wide for your dog. A chest that is too wide can limit the free movement of the legs forward and start to rub the armpits.

Next, look at the length of the bust:

• If the chest piece is too short, the harness ends as if in the middle and the side straps hit the dog's armpits behind the front legs. Note here, too, that the harness only sets correctly when pulling. Harnesses that are just the right size for the dog may reach up behind the armpits and look very ill-fitting when they are "loose" on the dog.
• If, on the other hand, the chest piece is too long for your dog, the rib pieces come into the harness too far, behind the dog's chest and ribs. The lower parts of the rib pieces must stay on top of the dog's chest/ribs even when pulling . Otherwise, they put pressure on the sensitive stomach area.
• A properly sized harness therefore leaves a bit of empty space behind the armpits when pulling, but the lower parts of the sides remain on top of the dog's ribs.

Below is an example picture where the harness is for a dog Chest part too long . The lower part of the side straps of the harness gets behind the dog's chest and ribs and presses unpleasantly on the stomach when pulling. The harness is too long for the dog in question.

Back length

In full-length pulling harnesses, the attachment loop of the pulling rope should start approximately where the dog's tail starts. A harness that is too long can hang behind the dog's rear. The fact that the harness is a little shorter usually does not matter much, as long as the chest part of the harness is long enough, i.e. the side straps do not get caught in the armpits when pulling. Especially if you do sports where the harness starts slightly upwards from the dog (e.g. running/skiing/cycling), the harness may be a few centimeters short of the back length.

With sled dogs (i.e. with a pull coming from low), fullness is more essential. If the dog mainly pulls in sports with a low pull point (sled, ring, etc. and sled dogs), there is a so-called kapulaljas the most ergonomic sled dog harness model.

An example of a properly fitting Non-stop Freemotion harness

In the photo above, the dog is wearing a Non-stop Freemotion harness, and the harness has a light pull. The neckline is snug enough and not over the shoulders. The lower parts of the rib straps do not rub behind the armpits, but they still stay on top of the ribs even when pulled.

Measuring the dog for the draft harness

With the information shown in the picture below, you can start mapping out the options from our selection of sled dog harnesses .

• A good, tight enough, fit of the neck opening of the harness is important, so the choice of model and size always starts from that. When measuring, keep the measuring tape as taut as possible so that it runs in a straight line on the front side of the dog's shoulders and shoulder blades - just like the neck opening of a pulling harness should be positioned when pulling. Always measure from one side of the dog to get a true measurement. You can find a measurement table on the product page of each pulling harness, which indicates the size of the neck opening measured from the harness. Divide the measurement of the neck opening by two and try with a piece of measuring tape to see if you can get that length to fit your dog.
• In most measurement tables, the reference weight of the dog, the length of the back and/or an example breed are given. See if your dog roughly fits these indicative dimensions.
• If in doubt, ask! Based on the information below, we can help you choose.

Typical draft harness options

Small or small (about 3–20 kg) dogs:

• Inlandsis Open-Back
• Non-stop Freemotion

Dogs with a short or short chest (e.g. upright ears, Samoyeds):

• Non-stop Freemotion
• Axaeco Scandinavia
• Inlandsis Open-Back (5-20 kg dogs)

Dogs with a slender neck and long chest (e.g. slender working line husky and border collie, malinois, eurohound):

• Dragråtta R harness
• Non-stop Nansen Nome Harness 5.0

Dogs with a stiff neck (e.g. large shepherds, retrievers, malamutes):

• Non-stop Freemotion
• Inlandsis Polar Quest
• Dragråtta's X harness

Dogs whose neck opening size required by the harness is almost equal to or greater than the length of the back:

• In practice, you can only get the sitting harness as a made-to-measure order.

Help with Choosing a sled dog harness or determining the fit

We are happy to help with the selection and fitting of sled dog harnesses and other products. This is best done with the help of measurements taken from the dog and fitting photos.

If you send us fitting pictures of the pull harness, preferably take them with an assistant as follows, according to the natural pull:

• the dog is on a flat surface where its paws do not slide (preferably outside, never on a bare wooden floor)
• the dog stands sideways to the camera
• the harness has a decent strong pull without the dog arching its back. The pull should be close to the intensity with which the dog actually pulls the runner/skier/bike/sled.
• check that the pull comes from the same angle as naturally with a pull cloth (with a small dog, usually slightly from the top, with a large dog, directly from the height of the back)

You can send us the pictures by email or Whatsapp .